


Christmas

by susies_fandom_wonders



Series: Under the Mask [5]
Category: Layton Kyouju Series | Professor Layton Series
Genre: Gen, M/M, i'm very unoriginal with fic names, it's just shameless christmas fluff, so many characters...., utm au
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-16
Updated: 2018-12-16
Packaged: 2019-09-19 23:10:37
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,062
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17010951
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/susies_fandom_wonders/pseuds/susies_fandom_wonders
Summary: Before the final leg of the trip, the Bostonius crew decides to take a break from the running.





	Christmas

Froenborg.

The final destination on this trip that seemed to spawn from the inner depths of hell. The Bostonius group decided to pause -- at least, for a few hours -- to steel themselves mentally for the last leg of their trip. The Azran key was completed, and Aurora had gone awfully somber ever since she had held it in her hands after it had been fixed. Her smiles seemed to be less genuine and more hollow, never reaching her eyes.

Everyone seemed to sense that something big was coming -- even Violet and Luke could feel it. They convinced Aurora and Emmy to play with them, building a snowman and throwing snowballs at each other before coming back to the group, covered in snow and their cheeks rosy and warm from the cold while they recovered, before going back out to play again.

Hershel even came out of the Bostonius, bundling up and covering his ear with a scarf, tucking the excess under his hat. Nate and Desmond watched him carefully as he sat on the bench near the park, hunching over and his breath billowing from his lips in large, white clouds. The snow that was falling in large, gentle flakes settled on Hershel’s hat and shoulders, but he didn’t seem to mind, staring out at the children as they played in the snow, eyes hazy from the fever that never seemed to let up completely on its own.

“Do you think he’s going to be okay?” Nate asked quietly, arms folded in front of him as Olivia took a seat next to Hershel, placing a hand on his shoulder and muttering to him in soft, gentle tones. The professor turned his head slightly, and nodded, a small smile making its way onto his face.

“I don’t know.” Desmond turned to face Nate, lips pressed into a thin line and hands gripping his arms tightly. Music from a building nearby filtered outside; soft, quiet, and calm. Desmond couldn’t process it properly at the moment, focusing on Hershel and his wife. “But… I’m glad he’s out here.”

“I am, too.” Nate looked down at Des’s hands, wanting to grab one of them, to reassure him, tell him that everything would be okay.

But even he wasn’t sure if everything was going to be okay, anymore.

“... Professor? Nate?” Aurora wandered up to them, fiddling with the stray threads of her winter coat that Olivia insisted she have, eyes looking up from the snow-covered ground every now and again. “Can I ask you something?”

Desmond and Nate glanced at each other before Nate nodded. “Of course.” Nate felt a small smile make its way onto his face, body relaxing. “What is it, Aurora?”

“What are the songs that the people here are singing?” Aurora tilted her head. “I have never heard them before. Is it some sort of music that is native here in Froenborg?”

Both Desmond and Nate went still, tilting their heads and listening to the music closely, more attentively. Nate’s eyebrows rose after a moment, frowning deeply. He looked over at Des, noticing he had reacted much the same.

“That’s Christmas music,” Nate finally muttered, arms slowly lowering to hang at his sides. “Isn’t it, Desmond?”

“...Yes. I believe it is.” Des’s voice was quiet.

“What is Christmas?” Aurora asked, eyes lighting up in curiosity. Des’s frown deepened, then his expression smoothed out. Nate could practically hear the gears in Desmond’s head turning.

“It’s… associated with religion, but most of the world celebrates it regardless of religious orientation. Christmas is a time for giving gifts to each other,” Desmond finally said, arms uncrossing as finally, a soft, warm smile made its way onto the professor’s face for the first time in what felt like years. “A time to be with family and friends.”

“O-Oh!” Aurora smiled back before her expression fell back into confusion. “Does it matter what the gift is?”

“It doesn’t.” Nate tensed as cool fingers brushed his own, then grasped them. He spared a glance down at his hand, where Des’s fingers were intertwined with his own. “Sometimes… your family is the best gift you can ask for.” The professor’s eyes looked from Aurora out to Violet, who had somehow roped Hershel into building a snowman with her and Luke, the other professor pointing out patterns in the snow and probably explaining a puzzle, from the way Violet and Luke both placed hands under their chin and pointed at the white blanket, asking questions while looking up at the Professor for confirmation. Desmond’s gaze flitted for a moment to his wife, who was still sitting on the bench, watching the snowflakes peppering her hair as Emmy sat next to her. He looked back at Nate, and a smile seemed to raise to his face without him knowing it, letting out a soft breath of air that formed a gentle white cloud between them.

God, Nate really wanted to kiss Desmond.

“I see. So the gift giving isn’t necessary, but it is a tradition?” Aurora fiddled with the stone hanging around her neck, the same one she wore on her forehead when she was first released from the ice. “Would Violet like it if I gave her this?”

“I believe she’d love it.” Aurora smiled, then untied it from around her neck, letting the stone sit in the palm of her hand. She stared at it for a moment, then look back up at Desmond and Nate.

“Do I give it to her now?”

“You can.” Aurora’s smile finally looked bright as she looked at Desmond, then at Nate.

“Thank you, Professor, Nate.” Clutching the stone in her hands, Aurora hurried through the powdered snow to Violet, smiling as she held it out to Violet, speaking in soft tones. Violet clenched her hands together in excitement as Aurora tied it around the girl’s neck, then threw her arms around Aurora, hugging her tightly and almost making them fall into the snow. Luke and Layton watched on, fond smiles on both their faces. Olivia was laughing from her place on the bench, arm around Emmy’s shoulders and pulling her close.

Desmond let out a singular huff of laughter, leaning on Nate’s shoulder. Nate unconsciously leaned into the side embrace, sighing as their fingers interlaced. Without thinking much of it, Nate placed a gentle kiss into his hair.

For once, everything was calm.


End file.
